


The Time It Takes to Fall in Love

by Maaarken



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Army, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Sorry, Identity Porn, Insecure Tony Stark, M/M, Multi, No Smut, Pre-Threesome, Sassy Bucky Barnes, Sassy Tony Stark, Secret Identity, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Gets a Hug, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony-centric, penpals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-19
Updated: 2016-11-19
Packaged: 2018-08-31 22:12:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8595814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maaarken/pseuds/Maaarken
Summary: In which Steve and Tony are happy, in love and engaged when Steve’s ex-fiance, Bucky, who was supposedly dead, comes back to life.Also in which Tony and Bucky are penpals.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [the3rdbrother](https://archiveofourown.org/users/the3rdbrother/gifts).



> This is the first time I publish my work and it is really stressful.  
> If you see any mistake, please tell me. English is not my first language, as it is not my beta's.  
> A big thank you to the3rdbrother who supported and beta-ed me.

Tony wasn’t expecting that email. He wasn’t expecting good news in the shitload that was now his life. Two days ago, he had been a happy man. Two days ago, he had been a happily engaged man. Now he definitely wasn’t happy, and wasn’t even sure he was still engaged. His fiance - or ex-fiance - was the most perfect man to have ever walked the Earth. Steve was inherently good, compassionate, intelligent, had a hot bod’ and eyes of the bluest blue to ever blue. And his smile, oh, his smile. It was always warm and full of life, and Tony loved the way Steve laughed at his jokes. He also loved the way Steve would wrap himself around Tony, his large, bulging arms surrounding him in a cocoon of love and warmth. Tony loved everything about Steve.

They had met a year and a half before - 548 days, Tony had calculated. They had run into each other by accident, and it had been love at first sight. They had loved each other from the start, both helping the other through their difficulties. Steve was still mourning his fiance, a soldier who had been MIA. The reports said that he had died, but they couldn’t find the body. Tony had been dealing with his alcoholism and whorish lifestyle. Tony had helped Steve overcome his loss, and Steve had helped Tony to stop drinking and partying. They were good together. It had been an endless bliss between them. Tony had popped the question a few months ago, and Steve had said yes. They were going to marry each other.

Or so had been the plan. Tony was pretty sure the plan had changed.

He passed a weary hand on his face, closing his eyes for a moment. His other hand raised his glass to his lips. He took a small sip, letting the warmth of the whiskey burn his throat.

He had lost everything. Everything had changed. All of it because of Bucky. Bucky, Steve’s former fiance, who had been supposedly dead for two years, was back from the dead. Which seemed to please Steve a bit too much.

Tony took another sip, enjoying the burning feeling in the throat. Why had he given up this pleasure, again ? Oh, yes, because of Steve. Because Steve didn’t like it.  _ Fuck Steve _ . Steve had probably never even loved him, if the way he welcomed Bucky back was any indication. Another sip. And another, for good measure.

Tony looked back at his computer, finally daring to open the e-mail. It was the answer to the message he had written 738 days ago.

A long time ago (921 days ago, to be precise), Pepper had forced him to register to an online penpal thing. She wanted him to socialize with people other than other rich, preposterous assholes like him - her words, not his. So she had found this website. He remembered when he had opened the link she had sent him. “Support our soldiers” written in big, fat bold on the top of the page. He had closed the page, then re-opened it. What Pepper wanted, Pepper got. He had created an account  - IronMan - and had first been matched with some asshole whose pseudo was Zemo. He was weird and creepy, and Tony had almost cancelled everything. But then he had been matched with WinterSoldier. WinterSoldier, whose name was really James, was fun and nice and witty. They had almost immediately hit it off. They had agreed to never say anything personal, such as a name (or last name, in James’ case), job, etc. Tony wanted to keep his identity hidden, and thus allowed James to do the same.

They would rant to each other, sharing stories about Pepper - or as Tony had nicknamed her, Salty-and-Sexy, S.S. for short - or James’ fiance - Tall-and-Blonde, or T.B. - or their coworkers. James always had hilarious stories about one of his comrades in particular, who had been renamed CawCaw.  It had been nice and funny, until one of Tony’s email was left unanswered. Tony had assumed James was either dead or had moved on from the penpal thing.

Tony had wanted to look for him, see if he was alive or not, but all he knew of the man was that his name was James and that his coworkers were annoying but friendly - except for CawCaw who was funny as hell - and that his fiance was his first love, his childhood best friend and the most gorgeous man to ever walk the Earth. Tony had been inclined to trust James on the last one, until he had met Steve. Steve was the most handsome man on the planet.

Another sip of whiskey. The glass is empty now, so Tony grabs the bottle and drinks directly from its neck. He reads the email, wearily.

 

“ _ Hey Iron, _ ” It reads. “ _ I’m sorry I have not answered before. I know it’s been a long time, but I have been in a tight spot. I would still like to converse with you, if you would take me back? Honestly, I feel like I could take a bit of your witty sarcasm to cheer me up. I have been fighting for my life in the last months/years, and now I realize that maybe it wasn’t worth it. _

_ Anyways, if you still want to talk to me, don’t be shy. _

_ Hope life treated you well, _

_ WinterSoldier. _ ”

 

Tony puts the bottle of whiskey back on the table, and starts typing.

 

“ _ Hello Jamie, _

_ I fear I am far too inebriated to be witty and sarcastic, but I’ll try for you. Life has indeed treated me well in the last months/years, although I fear it has recently changed. I had met the most charming man - who would put your fiance to shame - and we had a long, blissful relationship. But you know, all good things must come to an end. _

_ I totally understand if my drunken rambling doesn’t cheer you up. I know it wouldn’t cheer me up. _

_ If you feel like talking about your “tight spot” or whatever, feel free. I have nothing else to do other than a bottle of whiskey. I am not exactly a good listener but who knows, it might get things off your chest. _

_ The best and drunk-est, _

_ IronMan _ ”

 

He hit send and take a long, blissful sip from the bottle. It’s weird, talking to James like that. It feels like it’s been much more than two years, yet Tony is still familiar with the language and personality of WinterSoldier. It’s uncanny.

He goes up and walks to his bathroom to pee. Then he goes to the kitchen to find something to eat. There is an old pack of chips. It’s so old the chips are not even crunchy anymore. They taste like shit, but Tony just drunk enough to not care. When he sits back in front of his computer again, there is a new mail waiting for him.

 

“ _ I am glad to see you still want to talk to me, but I wish things would have gone better for you. I can tell you about my “tight spot,” but it is a long story. It started a week after your last email (I remember because I felt guilty about taking so much time to answer). Stuff happened (which I can’t tell you about, because it’s mission stuff and you’re a civilian) but I ended up injured and captured by enemies. I was brought to a camp where I was locked up with other prisoners. We stayed there almost a year. We had managed to find a way to escape, and we were going to, when the camp was attacked by American forces. We thought they were going to free us, but they didn’t even know we were there. They bombed everything. I don’t remember much of it. They told me I was found when they looked for survivors. I’ve spent months in a coma. When I woke up, I learned that I had lost a limb. After that, I spent a few months in rehabilitation. That’s probably the shortest summary I can do. _

_ I managed to find T.B.’s new address. At first, I was glad he had moved out of our shitty apartment and had gotten a big house, like I knew he dreamed of. His welcome was warm, too. But then his new boyfriend arrived. He is dating someone else, some rich asshole. My life sucks so fucking much. _

_ I guess that’s pretty much all I have to say. There’s nothing else new in my life, and I’m still coping with the fact that I’m pretty much useless now. _ ”

 

That email is downright depressing, and Tony drinks a bit more, although he answers immediately. His mail is long and there is probably too much drunken rambling, but it feels damn good to write. He speaks of how his own boyfriend - he refuses to use the word fiance - is back with his ex. He tries to describe how it happened.

One moment they are in bed, laying together on a warm, sunny Sunday morning, and the next second there is someone knocking at the door. Steve gets up first - he is more of a morning person than Tony is - and goes to answer. Suddenly Tony hears a sharp scream. When he gets to the door, Steve and Bucky are kissing. The soldier pressing the blond against the door, his arm wrapped around his waist. Steve is holding on to the man, his joints of hand white where he is clutching on the fabric of the man’s clothes.

Tony cries as he writes it and finally erase the whole paragraph, not wanting to share such an intimate pain. When he is done writing, he sends the email and goes to bed. He falls asleep before his head even touches the pillow.

When he wakes up, it is to a loud, beeping sound. The sounds reverberates in his throbbing head. It’s his cellphone. He looks at the screen. It’s Steve. He rejects the call and falls back into sleep.

His phone rings again half an hour later. It’s still Steve, and the ringing hurts just as much as before. He refuses the call yet again, and turns his cellphone on mute. He goes back to sleep.

When he wakes up again, it is because he has to pee. He jumps when he arrives at the bathroom, not expecting the puke in the toilet. He doesn’t even remember puking. It was probably after the last mail, just before he went to sleep. He’ll have to call the cleaning crew.

That’s one of the best advantages from his loft on top of Stark Tower, second only after the nice view. He doesn’t have to clean. Steve always insists they clean the house themselves. Tony had laughed the first time Steve had asked him to clean after himself. Except it had not been a joke.

Now, Tony is almost used to cleaning the house. He is so used to it that he cleans the toilets himself, because he has to pee and doesn’t want to wait for the cleaning crew. When he is done and has peed, he cries because he remembers how Steve patiently showed him how to clean a fucking toilet.

A look at his Starkphone tells him he has four additional missed calls from Steve and a dozen messages. “ _Please Tony_ ”, “ _Answer the damn phone, Tony_ ”, “ _We need to talk_ ”, “ _Please don’t shut me out_ ” are there twice each. “ _I know you’re ma_ d”, “ _I would be, too_ ”, “ _But please Ton’_ ” follow. The last one “ _I love you Ton’_ ” just makes him cry harder. He knows it’s a lie. If it wasn’t, Steve wouldn’t have kissed Bucky like that.

Bucky is still probably at their house. He probably also spent the last nights in their bed, replacing Tony next to Steve. Tony briefly wondered about how Sam, their dog, reacted to the newcomer. He kinda hoped the dog had bit Bucky. It would teach him right.

He cries some more. When his tears have dried, he eats a few snacks. The rest of the day is spent writing emails to WinterSoldier and tinkering on his robots. The following days are the same: waking up in the early afternoon, working and talking to James, then drinking and talking to James, going to bed wasted.

One day, less than a week after Bucky’s mysterious revival, WinterSoldier sends him an interesting email.

 

“ _ I went to visit T.B. today. His eyes were red and he looked so tired. He told me his boyfriend is mad at him. Because of me. I feel like shit now. I gave him my excuses. Wished him the best of luck with his new boyfriend. Told him that we had been best friends before being lovers, and that I could settle for just that. I think it hurt him, but he thanked me. He said he had mourned me and all. You know, that he was over me, that he was hoping to live with the rich asshole. It hurts so goddamn much. I mean, I want him to be happy, you know? He deserves that. It’s just that I wished I wouldn’t have to break my own heart ot make him happy. What do you think about it? What should I do? _ ”

 

The rest of the message is about his rehabilitation. Tony starts drinking earlier that day. It’s easier to think with alcohol. 

 

“ _ I thought a lot about what you wrote. With a glass or two of whiskey. I think you did the right thing. You shouldn’t fight for him if he is not ready to fight for you. Also, you inspired me to do the same. We can’t heal for our pain if we just mope continuously. I think we should both forgive our exes. If anything, for us. Maybe they deserve to be happy with their new boyfriends. But we also deserve to be happy, if not with them. I have decided to face him, to take the bull by the horn, and tell him to be happy with his new man. The only way I can heal is via redemption and forgiveness. I think it is also your case. _

_ Also, as you said, he was your best friend first. Even if you can renew the love, you can still stay his friend. You’ll have to move on, but when you’ll do, you’ll still have him by your side. And that’s great. _ ”

Tony ignores the silent “I won’t” that follows.

 

And for once, he does as he says. He finds his phone - only to find out there’s no battery left. He plugs it and opens it. There is an endless wave of messages coming in, all from Steve. Tony ignores them and just types:

 

“ _ I wish you a happy life with Bucky. _ ”

 

He sends the message and waits a few seconds.

 

“ _ You can keep the house and the dog. He likes you better anyway _ ”

 

He knows he sounds petty, so he adds another message:

 

“ _ Honestly, Steve. I understand _ ”

 

He curls up around himself and cries himself to sleep.

The next day, he decides to go out of his apartment, for the first time of the week. He needs some fresh air, and it will do him some good. He decides to go to his favorite café, the one where Steve and he always went together. In hindsight, it probably wasn’t a good idea to go to this one, seeing as it’s also Steve’s favorite. Because Steve is there. With Bucky. And Sam - who isn’t biting Bucky. There is a half-wall between where he is and their table. The wall is decorated with plants and an aquarium. Tony stays behind one of the biggest plants, watching the couple thorugh the foliage.

 

“You remember all the times we came here?” says Bucky, with a smile etched on his lips.

 

Tony feels like he can’t breathe. Steve was the one who showed him the place. He had said it was one of his favorite places, and that he wanted to share that with Tony. But now Tony knew Steve liked the place because he used to go there with Bucky. Had it just been a ploy to replace Bucky with Tony? Was there even somthing real in their relationship? Or was Tony just a rebound? A cheap replacement?

Steve nods. Tony can’t really see his face from where he is. It’s a good thing. The look of pure love on Bucky’s face is difficult enough to see. He doesn’t need to see its reflection in Steve’s blue eyes.

Tony can’t even focus on their words anymore. He just stares at Bucky. He can see why Steve likes him better. He has beautiful light eyes. Tony’s are just of a dull brown. Bucky looks like he has more muscles, too. Tony can only see his face and his shoulders, half-hidden behind a plant as he is, but it’s enough to have a good idea of his overall shape. Tony also remembers, from their kiss, that Bucky is almost as tall as Steve. The soldier has a better body than Tony. His jaw seems also a bit squarer than Tony’s. At least Tony’s facial hair is cooler, even though Bucky’s faint stubble looks great on him.

How could he ever have a chance against that handsome man? How could Steve even look at him after dating a man like that? He feels a tear run down his cheek. A waitress, passing nearby, stops.

 

“Are you okay, sir?” 

 

Tony just stares at her dumbly. He is barely taller than she is, and her vibrant red hair is curly. She is beautiful. If Tony was in a better mood and not so heartbroken, he would have flirted with her. But now his heart beats only for Steve, so he ignores her beautiful green eyes.

 

“Yes, thank you. Everything is well.”

 

It’s just a half-lie, because Steve is well. He finally is with the man he loves. He glances one last time at the couple sitting together, and leaves. When he gets to his appartment, he doesn’t even stop by his computer to see if James has answered. He doesn’t want to talk to anyone. He locks himself in his lab, and turns on his music - AC/DC - so loud it hurts his head. Better his head than his heart.

After way too many cups of coffee and toilet trips, he switches to alcohol. He still has to go to the bathroom every so often, but the strong liquor soothes away his pain. He ends up falling asleep in his lab.

As soon as he wakes up, he continues working. He is concentrated and efficient: it’s better to work than to think about Steve and Bucky. Pepper will be glad to see he has worked on so many projects. 

It’s only the day after that he looks at his emails. He has two from WinterSoldier. The first one is mostly uneventful, talking about his rehabilitation and all the exercises he has to do. If Tony finds out in which hospital he is taken care of, he could raise some funds for the hospital, to make sure James has the best services and all. But he can’t really do that without telling he is Tony Stark. In the second email, he sounds both happier and worried. He asks why Tony hasn’t answered - he usually is the fastest, out of the two, when it comes to answering - and if he is well.

 

“ _ Hello Jamie-boy, _ ” he writes. He knows James will complain about the nickname in his answer - he always does and mocks him by calling him IronBoy, but he never complains any more than that, and Tony is pretty sure he secretly enjoys it - and it’s exactly why he does it.

“ _ I think I was starting to maybe, you know, move on. I sent him my best regards for his new relationship, and all. I even went outside for the first time of the week. I don’t know why, but I decided to go to “our spot.” I have great memories there, and I thought that it would cheer me up. However, I stumbled on him and his new boyfriend in what was probably a date. I was subtle - for once in my life - and managed to leave before they saw me, but still. It hurts. To see them in love and happy while I’m left alone. I love him, and I think that even if one day I stop loving him, I’ll never love anyone else as much. And it hurts to realize that our relationship was just a one-way street. _

_ But what hurts even more, is that I can see what he sees in his boyfriend. I observed them, I was curious. Now I regret I did. His boyfriend is hot. Like, really, really hot. It was the second time I saw him (the first time he was kissing my boyfriend, so I wasn’t really looking at whether he is hot or not, obviously) He is a soldier (like you) and he has the muscles to show it. And he is almost as tall as my ex (who is pretty tall) and he has beautiful light eyes (I have a thing for light eyes) and I totally understand why my ex would go for him instead of me. _

_ I mean, I’m a nerd and a geek. I work with robots and on electronic devices. Yes, I take care of my body, but I don’t have large, sexy arms or anything. And I’m kinda small. It was always a sore point for me. I’m just tall enough that people don’t immediately realize how tiny I am, but my ex was almost a head taller than me. And my eyes are brown. How boring is that? _

_ I’m good enough, but the other is just better. My ex used to tell me all about him, how great he was, that he had been his best friend and his first love and all. I wasn’t jealous, at the time (I didn’t know I ought to be) and I would listen with avidity, wanting to learn everything about him (my ex) and his past. Even if that included his one and only ex. He told me how they grew up together, that his boyfriend was witty and funny and gentle. _

_ I think I have to grow up, like you encouraged me to do. Forgive, move on. I tried, but it hurt to see it with my own true eyes, how happy they are together. Maybe I needed this wakeup call, to move on for real. Whatever. I don’t know. I just feel so, so empty. _

_ Your friend, _

_ IronMan _

_ PS: Wow, now I wish I could be a real man of iron, not feeling a thing, heartless. Life would be easier. _ ”

 

The answer arrives half an hour later. 

 

“ _ Hey IronBoy _ ” Ah! Tony had predicted it.

“ _ Before I answer to your last email, I want to ask you to do something, okay? Please go drink a glass of water and eat something. I know you’ve been drinking. Please, for me. When it’s done, then you can come back and read my message. _ ”

 

Tony chuckles. James knows him so well. He has just ordered pizza when he freezes. He remembers the same messages from more than two years before. When he would drink himself sutpid every night. James had known about the alcohol that time, too, trying to help him. And here he is, yet again. As if Steve had never helped him overcome his addiction. He looks at the bottles laying on the table. Only one is still half-full. He seizes it and empties it in the sink. He can do better than that. He had been sober for a fucking year. He drinks a glass of water for the first time in days, and goes back to his computer. He’ll read the email as he waits for the pizza.

 

“ _ Nerds and geeks are great too. I’m a huge Star Wars fan, but my ex couldn’t differentiate Star Wars from Star Trek. It’s okay if you don’t have exactly the same interests. And muscles? Yes, muscles are hot. But they’re just a plus. You don’t date people for their muscles. You don’t fall in love with muscles. You fall in love with a personality. That’s what really matters.  _

_ I’ll tell you an anecdote, if that’s okay with you. So you know T.B and I started dating before I enrolled. At first, we both wanted to go in the army, maybe him even more so than me. But he was a thin, sickly teen. Even when we were kids, he was bullied because he was just so small and thin (even though that didn’t stop him from starting fights all the fucking time like a punk). When I joined the army, he was rejected. He couldn’t pass any physical test. He had really bad asthma, and every time he ran more than three minutes he fainted. But still, I loved him (even if he had absolutely no muscles whatsoever). I left for my formation, and had to leave him behind. But he trained, ran, lifted weights. He said he had to be there for me, to protect me. _

_ On the mission where… The one when I was captured. He had just finally been accepted. We had planned to get married when I came back, so that we would go on the same missions, together. Okay, maybe it ended up being a bit depressing, but what I wanted to say was that I loved him before he started training, you know? And he never stopped, and now he is bigger than I am (although I lost a lot of weight and muscles during the last two years). Yes, he is even hotter now, but if he were to go back to that skinny body? I’d still love him. So don’t worry about your lack of muscles. _

_ And if you’re not tall? That’s okay. Tall guys are hot, that’s true. But small guys are great too. They’re cuter. And more feisty. And honestly, I prefer to be the big spoon. _

_ Now you want to talk about eyes? Let’s talk about eyes. Blue eyes are beautiful. Let’s set that straight. Blue eyes are so fucking beautiful. But light eyes are cold. Brown eyes, dark eyes are warm. You know that kind of warm brown, a bit like amber, or whiskey? Eyes like that are the most beautiful thing in the world. It’s like you can feel the warmth of the soul of the person through their eyes. There’s not that kind of connection with light eyes. And you think your eyes are boring? Try mine. Most of the time, my eyes are blue or green. Cool right? No. Because sometimes they end up being gray. GRAY. That’s like... no color! So at least your eyes are warm. Mine are of a faded gray. Like a total lack of substance.  _

_ And maybe we don’t know each other a lot. I mean, we don’t share intimate details, but we know each other well, do we not? And I think you’re great. It may sound dumb, because I’ve never seen you and I don’t even know your name, but you’re probably my best friend. I mean, you’re the only one I can confide to, you know? And apart from fellow soldiers, people at the rehab center and my ex, I don’t know anyone. _ ”

 

Tony feels like taking a shot from his last bottle of alcohol, until he remembers he emptied it in the sink. James is a good man, and a great friend. Okay, they only started talking again a bit more than a week ago, but it feels like ages have passed already. He, too, now considers James as one of his best friend.

 

“ _ I’ve recently met with my ex. It went good. I wasn’t expecting it. He told me that he had continued training after my disappearance (as I just told you). He said he had used that as a punishment for a long time. That he had felt guilty for my death. He said that maybe, if he’d been there. I told him that if he’d been there, he probably would have died like most of my comrades. I told him I was glad he had been safe here. We also talked about his new boyfriend. He said the guy is really nice and sarcastic and funny. He said I’d like him. I doubt I’ll ever like him, though. Or at least, not until I’ve completely moved on and stopped being in love with T.B. He also told me about how is boyfriend is intelligent. Apparently he’s a genius of some sort. He’s also probably famous (I told you he was a rich asshole, right? Because apparently now rich equals famous). I’ll probably go check him up on google later on. To make sure he’s a good guy. I don’t really trust T.B’s vision of the guy, right now. I mean, I trust him with my life. I just don’t trust other people with his heart. _

_ I think his boyfriend saw us and was mad. I don’t know if he saw that we saw us. T.B. only saw him when he was leaving, probably after seeing us.  I don’t want him to be mad at T.B. I feel like I should talk to him, explain myself, set things right. But T.B. doesn’t want me to contact him. He thinks it will make things worse. But it’s not like we were doing anthing wrong. I’m trying to support his relationship with T.B! I think it’s going really badly between them, because I came back. I don’t know what to make of it. What do you think I should do? _

_ Don’t worry yourself. You’ll move on. I know it’ll take time. It always take time, doesn’t it? But it’s like my missing limb. You can’t expect every thing to be okay after a few days. (Okay, I know my limb will never grow back, it was a metaphor.) _

_ Did you eat like I said? _

_ Yours, _

_ Winter _ ”

 

Tony smiles softly. The pizza hasn’t arrived yet. He starts typing his answer.

 

“ _ I haven’t eaten yet, but pizza is on its way. _

_ I think maybe you should try to talk to the guy. Maybe you’ll end up fighting and T.B. will be mad, but chances are, the guy will actually appreciate you stepping down. Tell him you want to move on, that you have changed and all. Maybe avoid telling him how you still have the hots for Tall-and-Blonde, though. _

_ That being said, I really don’t understand your love for browns eyes. My ex has eyes of the most beautiful blue and I always felt like I could get lost in that ocean. Gray is also a great color. Like a storm.  _

_ On a less related note,  _ muscles _. Muscles are great, dude. Muscles get me really, really warm. If you see what I mean. _

_ On another less related note, I’d like to try to be the big spoon. However, for comfort reason I have never succeeded. I’m just too small. I don’t know if I told you (I’m pretty sure I did) but my ex was almost a HEAD taller than I. There was just no way of fitting us together with me as a big spoon. _

_ Also, I thank you for holding me in such high consideration. I must admit you also are the only one I can confide in. I know life is hard right now, but I’m glad you survived everything. I know you have it hard, because you feel like you’re breaking your ex’s relationship, but you are a great man. You deserve better than a man who can’t see you for who you really are. And since you said you don’t even know my name, I decided to trust you with my middle name. I don’t really like it, so please avoid its use. _

_ Edward. My second name is Edward. If you make a glittering vampire joke, I’ll stop talking to you FOREVER. Is that understood? _ ”

 

There is a ringing at the door. Probably the pizza.

 

“ _ Take care, my pizza has just arrived. _ ”

 

He presses send and walks to the door. It isn’t the pizza man. It’ Steve. Suddenly, Tony regrets throwing the last of his alcohol away.

 

“Tony,” says Steve when the door opens.

“What are you doing here?” directly asks Tony, leaning against the door.

 

He knows that his position blocks Steve from entering the appartment, from entering his life.

 

“Tony, I’ve been trying to call you,” says Steve.

 

He looks tired. Probably from too much sex with Bucky.

 

“Maybe. I don’t know where my phone is. It must be discharged.”

“Please, Tony, don’t block me out.”

 

Steve’s voice is just a soft, pleading whisper.

 

“What are you even doing here, Steve?” asks back Tony.

 

Steve sighs.

 

“I miss you. Come back home.”

“Didn’t you receive my text? It’s only your house now. My home is here.”

 

He shows the appartment behind him with a movement of the chin. Steve only steps closer. Then he sniffs at Tony and frowns.

 

“Have you been drinking? Tony, you promised-”

“Why do you even care, Steve? Isn’t your fiance waiting somewhere for you?”

 

Steve flinches.

 

“Just leave, Steve. Go back to Bucky. You’re not welcome here.”

 

Tony can see Steve’s eyes redden and fill with tears.

 

“Just go, Steve. Can’t you see how much you’ve already hurt me?”

 

His voice breaks on the last words. His throat is tight and he knows he will cry soon. He just wants Steve to leave before that.

Steve nods, his head going up and down harshly.

A security guard  - a tall, large blonde man - appears at the moment, carrying a box of pizza in his hand.

 

“You! I’m sorry Mr. Stark, he slipped in when I was paying for the pizza.”

“It’s okay. We were just talking. Did you leave a good tip?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Now you can bring Mr. Rogers back to the reception.”

“Tony,” intervenes Steve, “we’re not done talking.”

“We are,” answers Tony. “Be happy with him. That’s all I ask of you.”

 

Steve opens his mouth, but the security guard speaks up:

 

“Mr Rogers, if you would follow me.”

 

Steve nods and follows the guard away. Tony closes the door and let himself fall behind it, allowing his tears to run free. When he manages to stop crying, the pizza is already lukewarm. It’s not exactly good, but he doesn’t feel like heating it up again. Instead, he slids back to his computer, the box of pizza on his knees. WinterSoldier has answered his message.

 

“ _ So, Edward. I shall refrain from vampire jokes for you. I hope my sacrifice will make you happy and won’t be in vain. _

_ Since I last wrote to you, I have googled T.B.’s new boyfriend. I was right, there are lots of pictures and informations about him on the internet. What informations I saw have worried me. Heartbreaker, alcoholic, player, involved in too much drama. It seems to have stopped in the last year or so, but it is still worrying. The pictures, however… Now that I have seen his face (and had time to study it, because I only saw his face once before)  I must admit he is hot. He has beautiful, chocolate eyes. I am positively jealous of his eyes. And of the way he’s, you know, dating the man I love. _

_ I think it is quite funny how, a week ago, we were comparing our exes, and now we are both looking at their new boyfriends and thinking they’re hot. Our lives are fucked up, dude. _

_ But even if the guy is hot, I’m still pretty sure he is a complete asshat. T.B. told me he is really nice, and I’d try to trust his judgment on that. But T.B. also told me the first thing the guy said when he heard my name was to laugh and ask why I have a dog name. How rude is that? _

_ Also, is your pizza good? _ ”

 

Tony laughs at the message. James is probably the only one who can cheer him up from the shit going down with Steve.

 

“ _ My pizza is a bit too cold, but still enjoyable. My ex visited at the same time the pizza arrived. We’re now officially over. It’s sucks. A lot. But I guess it’s the first step to moving on. I can’t move on and get better if we’re not completely over. For as long as there’s a flicker of hope… It’s just impossible to move on. We both cried. It was utter shit. I cried for such a long time that now my pizza is cold. Like, he ruined me for anyone else, and now he ruins my pizza? Rude. _

_ James is NOT a dog name. That guy is an asshole, don’t listen to him! My dog (well, my ex-dog, because he’s not really mine anymore) has less of a dog name than you. I think it’s the only flaw with my ex (apart from ruining my pizza) : he is fucking unable to differentiate dog names and people names. I mean, he called our dog Sam. _ ”

For a moment, Tony wonders if it is a good idea to say that. They promised to never tell the other personal info. But he trust James, doesn’t he? It’s not like James can find him with only his middle name and the name of his dog, so anyway his identity is safe. Steve is probably not the only dumb person to call a dog Sam. There are lots of weird people walking the Earth (sadly).

“ _ Sam is not a fucking dog name! And his new boyfriend’s name is probably the most dog name of all dog names. It’s almost as bad as Fido. Have you ever met someone named Fido? No, because it’s a fucking dog name! _

_ Excuse my ranting. But yeah, don’t worry, James is not a dog name. _

_ Now, you’ve told me the colour of your eyes, but what do you look like? I am curious. _

_ Scissorhands _ ”

 

By the time he finishes writing his message, he is also done eating his pizza. He throws away the box and drinks another glass of water. James ought to be proud of him. He checks his other emails while waiting for James’ answer. Pepper has sent him a mail about directional stuff for Stark Industries. He tries his best to answer, before just telling her to do whatever she wants and that he trusts her judgment. By the time he is done, WinterSoldier’s new message pops in his inbox.

 

“ _ Haha Scissorhands! That’s a good one, too bad I didn’t think about it first. Did you know that Mr Hyde’s first name is Edward? But you said you were a nerd, so you probably are more of a Dr Jekyll? _

_ I don’t really know how to describe myself. I’m just a normal Brooklyn boy. I used to be quite big - muscle wise - but it has changed. I’m still fit, but yeah. Now it’s T.B. the bigger one, out of us two. I told you about my eyes. I have brown hair. I used to have a short haircut, but now my hair is longer. It reaches my shoulder. I feel like I should get a haircut, but I quite like it like this. And when my hair is annoying and gets in my face, it’s just long enough for me to attach it in a small bun. Well, I would attach them in a bun if I could. But I’m missing an arm, so it’s kinda hard. _ ”

 

It makes Tony giggle, and then instantly feel bad about laughing about his handicap.

 

“ _ I was thinking and I thought that maybe, you know, when we’ll both move on, that we’ll both be over our exes, maybe you’d like to go on a date with me? It’s okay if you don’t want to. But we’re friends, and we understand each other, and we’d both be expecting the same from the other. I don’t know, I think that maybe we’d do great together. _

_ Tell me what you think about this, _

_ James _ ”

 

It’s the first time he signs a message with his real name, instead of a nickname or his pseudo. It fills Tony’s heart with joy. He might never be over Steve. But maybe, just maybe, James can make him right again. And he is right. They know each other, are feeling the same pain. They’d probably do great together. It’s hard to say before meeting the guy. Maybe the more physical aspect of the relationship would go badly. Maybe there would be no physical attraction, or maybe the sex would suck. But when he thinks about it, Tony feels hopeful.

 

“ _ I’d love that. You can be the Jacob Black to my Edward Cullen _ ”

 

It’s not a long answer, but Tony doesn’t know what else to say. The answer arrives less than a minute later.

 

“ _ I thought glittering vampire jokes were forbidden? _ ”

 

Tony giggles.

 

“ _ I only forbid you of doing that kind of joke. I still can. _

_ I have to work, ttyl? _ ”

“ _ Wait, I was thinking of going to see T.B.’s boyfriend tomorrow morning. Do you think it would be a good idea? _ ”

“ _ I think so, yes. As long as the guy stays close-minded, the situation won’t set itself right. T.B. won’t be mad for long if you save his relationship. _ ”

 

Tony smiles as he closes his computer. He has to work on a prosthetic arm.

When he goes to bed that night, sober, he allows himself to smile before falling asleep. Maybe his life doesn’t suck that much.

Little did he know that, well, it does.

He is awoken the next morning by a someone knocking at his door. It’s weird, because he expressly forbid the security guards from letting anyone come to his loft. Apart from Pepper, obviously. They know she’s the one who does the firing. But Pep wouldn’t knock on the door. She always walks in like she owns the place, and wakes Tony up in the most brutal ways.

He walks up to the door groggily, not completely awaken. The sight of the person on the other side of the door finishes to wake him up. It’s Bucky.

 

“What the fuck?” is the only thing he can say.

“Tony. I want to talk to you.”

“Well, I don’t want to talk to you.”

“It’s about Steve,” Bucky presses on.

“Exactly.”

 

Bucky ignores and enters the loft.

 

“Ok, I don’t know what you’re doing, big guy, but I don’t want to talk to you,” confronts Tony, facing the man.

 

Bucky is taller than him. Not as much as Steve, but enough that Tony has to raise his chin high to look him in the eyes.

 

“I don’t give a crap about whether or not you want to talk to me,” replies Bucky, “but I give a crap about the fact that you’re hurting Steve.”

 

Tony gapes.

 

“Wait a moment there, Fido, Steve is the one literally stomping on my heart!”

“Fido?” repeats Bucky.

 

Tony shakes his head. Of course, that’s the only thing he understands.

 

“Yes. Now leave.”

 

He seizes the guy’s arm. But his hand closes on an empty sleeve. He stares in shock. Bucky lets out an empty laugh.

 

“Wasn’t expecting that?”

 

But all Tony can think about is Fido and missing arm. James disappeared around the same time as Bucky did. They’re both missing an arm. Bucky is a dog name. Sam is not. Tall-and-Blonde. Steve is tall and blonde. Steve is Tall-and-Blonde.

 

“James?”

 

It’s Bucky’s turn to freeze.

 

“You’re ..? No,” is the only reply.

 

But Tony knows what that means. Bucky is WinterSoldier.

 

“For how long have you known?” he barks at the man.

“I don’t, I didn’t!” protest the soldier.

“Don’t shit me! Gosh, all of your  _ moving on _ talk… I understand now!”

“I’ve never lied to you! And you’ve been the one pressing me to forgive and move on, and just be Steve’s friend!”

“I’ve said that because you told me that your fucking T.B. had chosen his new boyfriend. Don’t blame for giving you bad advices if you lie to me about the situation! You have Steve, he loves you, not me!”

“If he loved me better, why would he choose you?” asked Bucky.

 

They weren’t screaming, not yet, but the conversation was quickly getting louder.

 

“But he didn’t choose me, he loves you!”

 

Why was Bucky lying like that? Wasn’t Tony hurting enough already?

 

“Maybe he still loves me, but he still chose you! He said you deserved better, that it wasn’t fair otherwise, that-”

“So what, you think he’ll stay with me out of pity when he loves you more? No thank you, I’ll pass.”

“The only pity I see here is your own crippling self-pity. You convinced yourself he doesn’t want you, is that it? Is that why you’re so desperate to move on and find someone else?”

“You’re the one who asked me out!” barked Tony, trying to hide his hurt behind his anger.

“What?”

 

Both Bucky and Tony freeze at the new voice. Steve is standing at the door, fist still half-raised as if to knock on the side of the door. His mouth is gaping, wide open in shock. 

 

The two dark-haired man cry out protests. 

 

“Steve! It’s not-”

“No, we’re not-”

 

Steve just lowers in head, not listening to their defense. He still seems shocked.

 

“I guess it’s okay, if it’s what you want,” he says.

“Of course not, Steve, you’re the only one for me,” Bucky protests.

“You’re the one I love, Steve, not Fido,” says Tony at the same time.

 

Steve raises his head tentatively, looking in Tony’s eyes and then in Bucky’s. He looks uncertain, fist still raised to the side of the door. He seem to realize where his hand still is and lowers it.

 

“But why?” he asks, glancing accross them.

“We’re not going on a date,” says Tony, sending a dark glare in Bucky’s direction.

 

He shuffles a hand through his hair and sighs. What a mess. He shows the living room with the hand that is not ruffling his hair.

 

“Maybe we should all sit and talk.”

 

Bucky and Steve nods. Steve takes the loveseat and Tony and Bucky sit on each side of the sofa, making sure they are the furthest away from each other.

 

Bucky speaks up first.

 

“Do you remember the penpal I had, all those years ago? You know, the thing Clint told me to suscribe to?”

 

Steve nods, but looks confused by the change of subject.

 

“Isn’t that how he met Phil? And your penpal was named something like TinMan, right?”

“IronMan,” groans Tony.

 

Bucky nods.

 

“Tony is my penpal, IronMan.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” asks Steve, frowning.

 

He does the face, the one which says I-am-righteous-and-disappointed-in-you-Tony. It is also the one which always puts Tony on the defensive.

 

“We just put two and two together! Like five minutes ago. It’s not like I knew he is missing a fucking arm!” he says, pointing dismissively at Bucky’s shoulder.

 

Steve looks positively offended by that.

 

“Tony!”

“What? I’m telling things as they are. I wasn’t going to disrupt your sexy time to see if Fido here has all his members.”

“Stop calling me Fido, asshole,” intervenes Bucky.

“Then what should I call you? James?” bites back Tony.

“Well, it is my first name.”

 

Tony freezes.

 

“Then what the fuck is Bucky?”

“It’s a nickname,” answers Bucky with a smirk.

“And how do you go from James to Bucky?” asks Tony, raising an eyebrow.

 

He doesn’t understand why someone with a perfectly correct name would want to be called by a dog name.

 

“It doesn’t come from James, but from my middle name, Buchanan.”

“Buchanan? What the fuck is that?” laughs Tony.

“Like you’re one to talk, blood sucker!” replies Bucky, visibly vexed.

“We said not Twilight jokes!” exclaims Tony.

“All’s fair in love and war!”

“Aw, you love me?” coos Tony, smirking. “I’m sorry but that’s one-sided. I like my men more… men. Three-legged dogs just don’t do it for me.”

 

Bucky recoils in anger, his face turning red.

 

“Stop it!” screams Steve. “What the fuck is wrong with you, Tony? And you, Buck? I expected better from you two. Now, stop fighting and tell me what the hell is happening!”

 

Tony tenses, hating that do-as-I-say tone. On the other side of the sofa, Bucky does the same. When Steve sees that both men have calmed down, he continues.

 

“Buck, tell your side of the story. Tony, you shut up. When Bucky’ll be done, it’ll be your turn.”

 

The two brunettes nods.

 

“So Tony and I were penpals,” Bucky starts.

 

Steve nods. 

 

“When I came back, I felt lonely. I had just discovered your relationship with Tony. All of my army buddies are dead, except for Clint, but he’s on a big security mission. I had no one to talk to. Then I remembered IronMan. I sent him a message, explaining my situation. He answered and we started talking again. I told him my fiance had met someone else-”

“You didn’t say  _ someone else _ . You used the word  _ asshole _ ,” cut in Tony.

 

Steve shut him up with a glare and Tony sulked on his end of the sofa. Bucky just ignored him.

 

“He told me that his boyfriend went back to his ex. We complained to each other. I told him I was trying to support you and Tony together, and we mutually encouraged each other to move on. Harder done than said, but hey. We were trying. I don’t know what to say. We compared our exes - so you - and the new boyfriends - so each other, I guess”

 

Tony tried really hard to forget about how he had said Bucky was sexy. But then he remembered Bucky had said the same about him. Weird.

Bucky eyes him and Tony knows he’s thinking about the same thing. Awkward. Luckily, he doesn’t say anything about it and moves on.

 

“I proposed that we go on a date. Since we were both lonely, and we were getting along well.”

 

Steve nods, looking strangely impassive. Tony’s throat tightens. Steve only look that impassive when he’s trying not to cry.

 

“And is that what you’re going to do?” he asks.

 

Indeed, his voice is weird. He is going to cry. Tony wants to scream. Is Steve really thinking that they would just move on together? Steve is the best thing that ever happened in Tony’s life. He’d never let go of him for Fido.

 

“Of course not,” answers Bucky.

 

Steve immediately looks better, and Tony can feel the guilt rise up his throat. He doesn’t know what to make of this expression. He feels like shit for making Steve sad. But is Steve happier that they aren’t dating because he wants Tony, or is it because he wants Bucky?

 

“We both love you,” says Bucky to Steve, “well, I know I do, and I’m pretty sure he does, too.”

 

Tony nods, trying to reassure the blond.

 

“At this point, you can just choose whoever you love best. Our plan to date was counting on the fact that the men we loved were both choosing someone else than us. But since we both love you, it’s a bit confusing.”

 

Steve nods and shit he still looks as impassive as before.

 

“Tony, did you have anything to add to Bucky’s summary?”

 

Tony just shrugs.

 

“Not really. The story is mostly the same. I had kinda forgotten until the penpal thing until I received Bucky’s message. When he stopped answering to my messages, I thought he was either dead or sick of me. We were never talking about much. He was always talking about how fantastic his fiance was. I was trying to make my robotic work look badass without revealing stuff about Stark Industries.”

 

Both Steve and Bucky chuckled.

 

“It’s very badass,” ensured Steve, with a smile.

 

But Tony didn’t smile back, for he had seen the warm look Steve and Bucky had shared just before. Maybe it had been a mistake to make Steve remember how much Bucky loved him.

Or maybe it wasn’t. Wasn’t it what they had talked about in almost every message?  _ Moving on _ . Maybe Tony could try and move on. For real, this time.

 

“As Bucky said, we talked about our situations and all. And like he said, I moved on.”

 

The small smile twisting Steve’s lips upwards disappears suddenly. Even Bucky frowns. Tony realizes a bit too late that Bucky is James and that he knows IronMan, and Edward, and he knows that Tony hasn’t moved on, at all.

Steve opens his mouth, but Tony cuts in before he can speak.

 

“I get it. You love each other. It’s fine.”

 

He tries to ignore the way Steve’s eyes redden. He’s doing it for him. For them. Because he loves Steve and he will do everything he needs to insure his happiness. Even if he ruins himself doing so.

 

But Bucky intervenes and ruins it all.

 

“Oh, that’s bullshit! I know you haven’t moved on! Stop it with the pity party! Steve has already made his choice and it was you!”

 

Tony just laughs.

 

“Like hell he has. Maybe it’s true that I haven’t completely moved on yet, but I will. Sooner or later. On the other hand-”

 

He tries to ignore the pun he made with Bucky’s lack of a second hand.

 

“Steve loves you. You guys are everything for the other. Childhood friends, best friends, first loves. There’s no place for me there.”

“Tony…” says Steve.

 

His hands are tensed into fists, the joints white from the pressure. Tony has to stop all of this before Steve cries. He can’t stand the thought of making him cry.

 

“Ever since Bucky came back, I’ve realized that he was like a constant ghost in our relationship.”

“That’s not true,” protests Steve.

“Our café” starts Tony. He knows he doesn’t have to say which café. Steve knows. It’s their café. The one they went at least once a week for the last year. It was their date spot. “You went there with Bucky too, didn’t you?”

 

Steve doesn’t answer, but the joints of his hands get whiter.

 

“That’s what I thought. I guess it’s a good thing we don’t have  _ a _ song, because it would probably be the same as yours.”

“ _ I Want Love _ , by Elton John,” supplies Bucky, “that was our song.”

 

And god that hurts. Tony remembers very clearly Steve and his first kiss - how could he not? - but that also means he remembers the song that was playing at the time.  _ I Want Love _ , by Elton John. It wasn’t really their song, but when Rhodey had asked him if they had a song, a few months ago - because Rhodes was a whore for those kind of details - it was the first song to come to mind.

He tries not to let his hurt show.

 

“You should go. There’s nothing else to say.”

“Tony,” cuts in Steve. “I love you.”

 

On the other side of the couch, Bucky tenses.

 

“Maybe you do. But I’m not the one you want. You also love Bucky, and you love him more. I’m just the rebound, the second choice.”

“If you feel like that, then when did you ask me to marry you?”

 

Bucky tenses and his head turns so fast toward Tony it’s a wonder they don’t hear something break in his neck. But Steve is looking in Tony’s eyes with uncertainty and he is all Tony can look at.

 

“I didn’t know, back then.” A small, sad laugh escapes his lips. “I should have. I’ve never been a first choice.”

“That’s not true!” protests Steve, standing up with anger.

“I wasn’t yours. I wasn’t my parents’. My father hated me. My godfather tried to assassinate me to inherit my fortune.”

 

He showed Bucky with a move of the chin.

 

“ I wasn’t even his! You are the only two who have chosen me for something else than my money. And you only chose me because you couldn’t have each other.”

 

Steve is still standing, frozen. Bucky stands up, too. 

 

“You should go back to the house. Sam will miss you otherwise,” says Tony as he follows the trend and raises from the couch.

“Tony...” says Steve, again.

 

He looks like he wants to move toward Tony, and the billionaire is glad there is a coffee table in between them.

 

“Anyway,” he waves off his hand at Steve, “I’ll swing by soon. I’m working on a package for Fido.”

 

Bucky only raises an eyebrow at the nickname.

 

“As you already know, I am a genius. So when James told me he was missing an arm, I’ve started working on prosthetic arms.”

 

He makes sure to put the accent on  _ James _ . He’s making it for WinterSoldier, not for Bucky. Even if they are the same person.

 

“I’m still in the planning phase. I haven’t build it yet. I have no test subject, as I am, you know, evenly membered.” Steve snorts. “Anyway, that’s all Stark Industries R&D matters, so you shouldn’t concern yourself about that. You’ll receive one when I’m done working on it and it’s functional.”

“Tony-” starts saying Steve.

 

Tony can hear the gratitude in his voice, so he cuts him off.

 

“Unless of course,” he tells Bucky, “you want to be a test subject. In that case, I could make sure something goes wrong.”

 

He smiles machaviously - or at least tries to, he hasn’t practiced that look in the mirror yet. Steve sends him an alarmed look.

 

“Geez, Steve, lighten up, I’m just joking. Look, ha, ha, I’m laughing.”

 

He doesn’t laugh, obviously, because he still feels like crying. Steve seems completely unconvinced, but Bucky is biting back a smile.

 

“Now off with you two! Sam is probably waiting for you. And I have… no alcohol waiting for me, because Fido made me get rid of it like an asshole.”

“Tony, we’re not done talking,” tries Steve.

“Well I am!” protests Tony. “As I see it, you can either stay here in an endless conversation which will lead nowhere because I am right - as always - or you can leave and have a warm reunion like I know you’re dreaming of.”

 

Thinking about that  _ warm reunion _ is probably the best way to destroy the last of his resolve not to cry.

 

“So you really should go,” he adds, to make sure Steve and Bucky leave before he starts crying.

“No,” says Bucky.

 

Steve and Tony both turn toward him, surprised by his sharp voice. Bucky makes a step toward Tony. His hand seizes Tony by the waist, and suddenly their lips are touching. It’s warm and great, yet strange. It’s not Steve. Still, Tony lets himself enjoy it, not fully realizing Bucky is the one kissing him.

 

When their lips unlock, Tony is breathless.

 

“Let’s go on a date,” says Bucky, “You, me and Steve.”

“What?”

“What?”

 

Fido is even more dumb than Tony first thought.

 

“We should try,” says Bucky, “We both love Steve, Steve loves us both, and you owe me a date.”

“Are you sure?” asked Steve, dubious.

“Steve, Tony and I told each other that our exes’ new boyfriends were hot. And he said he likes light eyes. And I told him I like being the big spoon.”

 

Tony snorts at that. He can’t really stop himself. Bucky is right, after all. Bucky is still holding him, his arm wrapped around his waist. He is way taller than Tony, although not as much as Steve.

Everything is a bit blurry around them.

 

“Tony? Are you crying?” asks Steve.

 

Oh, that’s why everything is blurry. He laughs awkwardly.

 

“No, why would I?”

 

In all honesty, he’d been expecting the tears for a while already. But they were supposed to be tears of sadness because Steve and Bucky, and now it’s tears of hope that are streaming down his face. Maybe, just maybe, he can really be hopeful. Maybe, just maybe, everything will turn out alright.

Tony can feel lips pressing against his head, near his forehead. There is a draft of hot air against his scalp. It’s Bucky. He can hear steps and then there is a source of warmth on his other side. Steve. Steve and Bucky kiss. Tony is squished between their two large torsos, is face pressed against Bucky’s. He wraps his arms around Bucky. Steve wraps his arms around Tony’s and presses his hands on tops of Tony’s on Bucky’s back. It’s a bit of a mess, but Steve is holding his hands and kissing Bucky, and Bucky smells nice.

 

“Are you okay with this, Tony? You haven’t said a word.”

“Except to protect his masculinity,” laughs Bucky.

 

Tony pinches his bum in retaliation. Then he turns around - which takes a lot of shuffling, since he is stucked between the two taller men - and kisses Steve. Kissing Steve is just as perfect as it was before. Steve is still holding Bucky’s back - or probably his bum, according to the angle of his arms - and pulls them in an even tighter hug. 

 

“Do you really think it’ll work?” asks Tony.

 

Steve looks just as worried as him when hearing the question. Luckily, Bucky is more confident.

 

“We’ll make it work.”

“It’s only the third time I’ve seen you in the flesh,” argues Tony.

“You’ll have to trust Steve’s good taste,” smirks Bucky.

 

Both Bucky and Tony snort at the same time.

 

“Shut up, jerks,” replies Steve.

 

Tony isn’t crying anymore - or  at least the world stopped being blurry - and he can see the warm smile on Steve’s lips. Tony answers him with a smile of his own. Maybe they can make it work.

 

“Let’s go on that date.”

“Now?”

“I’ve just woken up!”

 

Steve smiles warmly.

 

“Go get ready, we’ll plan during that time.”

 

The two taller men release him from their thight embrace. Tony hesitates before leaving.

 

“We’ll still be there when you come back. It’s a promise.”

 

Steve looks straight in Tony’s eyes, and Tony can feel his honesty and love. His eyes are warm and Tony smiles softly before leaving the room to get a well needed shower. And if he can’t stop himself from jerking off under the hot water, well... Steve and Bucky don’t need to know that.

It is only when they are going down Stark Tower in the elevator - the slow one, because Steve doesn’t like the fast one - that Tony realizes something:

 

“By the way, how did you get in? The penthouse was supposed to be forbidden of entry.”

“Same thing as last time,” says Steve, “Thor let me enter. He knows me.”

“And please, pray tell, what is a Thor?”

“That would be the security guard at the door,” laughs Steve.

“Oh. That would make sense, I guess. And you?” he asks Bucky.

“I fear it is also Thor who let me enter. I told him I was your long lost brother, from a mistress your father had a long time ago and sent to Russia so no one would know about her pregnancy. There, she was captured and killed, after giving birth to me. I lived in an orphanage and I have been hunting for my father ever since.”

 

Steve snorts, again. Tony freezes, then shrugs.

 

“Plausible.”

 

When they get out of the elevator and pass nearby the security desk - where the blond man who delivered the pizza the last time is sitting - Steve nudges Tony.

 

“That’s Thor.”

 

Tony turns to Bucky and asks:

 

“How do you feel about incest?”

  
  


Bucky chuckles and kisses Tony. It’s good and warm and oh is that a tongue? (It is.) Tony was wrong all along; Steve isn’t the god of kissing, Bucky is. 

When Bucky releases his mouth, Tony is breathless and light-headed.

 

“Now I wonder what else you can do with that tongue,” he breathes out, as Steve pecks Bucky on the lips. 

 

Bucky winks at him.

 

“Kinky.”

 

Steve puts his hand on Tony’s ass. He definitely doesn’t mind that.

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll only bite if you ask.”

“I thought Cullens were vegetarian vampires?” is Bucky’s smart-ass answer.

“Shut up, Jacob, or I’ll put a leash on you.”

 

Bucky’s smile gets wider.

 

“Even kinkier.”

 

Steve just shakes his head.

 

“What have we done?” he mutters to himself.

 

As they leave for their date, Thor eyes them, completely unfazed.


End file.
